Studio Toogood designs Holy Carrot Spitalfields as nod to centuries-old market
Linoleum flooring, powder-coated steel stools and hand-painted mushroom motifs come together at Holy Carrot's second restaurant, which Studio Toogood designed as a tribute to its east London setting.
Plant-based restaurant Holy Carrot has opened its second location on the corner of the city's Spitalfields Market, which dates back to the thirteenth century.
When designing the interior, Studio Toogood founder Faye Toogood selected utilitarian materials to pay homage to the market's history as a Victorian fruit and vegetable vendor.
On the ground floor, a trio of original arched windows illuminates the main dining space's gleaming white-tiled walls and linoleum flooring.
Neat rows of dark wood tables with burnt orange tops are surrounded by simple timber dining chairs, while three bespoke fleecy stools with powder-coated steel legs line the bar.
Toogood suspended a hand-painted mural above the bar, illustrated with an otherworldly, blush-pink landscape of brown mushrooms.
A second mural depicting two gloopy-looking trees was placed above the open kitchen next to the bar, typical of Toogood's drawing style.
"I wanted the space, but especially this mural, to dig into our connection to the earth and the food we eat," said the designer. "It is a testament to soil, sustenance, decay and eternal regeneration."
A bright orangery, which includes a special entrance to the surrounding market, forms an extension to the main dining room.
The private space is characterised by a sandy-hued, hand-painted curtain that can wrap around the entire room, and custom sconce lights crafted from repurposed bamboo baskets.
Downstairs, the bathroom was designed to be an immersive, low-lit space clad with glazed red and orange tiles. A small waiting area features recognisable Toogood furniture pieces – her squidgy Gummy armchair and ceramic Cobble side table.
The furniture was placed alongside a 1960s petal floor lamp, which was sourced from a vintage retailer.
Throughout the restaurant, Toogood selected earthy hues to complement head chef Daniel Watkins's plant-based dishes, which range from coal-roasted leeks to "sexy" tofu.
Holy Carrot founder Irina Linovich opened the brand's first permanent restaurant on London's Portobello Road in 2024, with interiors by local architecture studio Al-Jawad Pike.
Elsewhere in the city, Day Studio recently designed Burro, a sleek Italian restaurant in Covent Garden.
The photography is by Ollie Tomlinson.
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